APA Collaborates With Other Medical Associations to Release New Addiction Resource Documents

Yesterday, APA joined three other major medical associations in releasing two resource documents listing the top 10 facts that both the public and every physician should know about addiction.APA worked with the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine to develop the resource documents. The lists are a product of ameeting of medical association leaders that APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., convened this past summer. The meeting focused on ways that physicians can work together to combat addiction.“Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Addiction” provides basic facts about addiction, such as the importance of talking openly with kids about the risks of substance use to help prevent addiction. It also includes facts about treatment, such as that returning to substance use is a common part of the recovery process and does not mean treatmen t failed. The list’s top five items include the following:Addiction is treatable with medications, therapy, and other supports, including group, individual, and family/friend integrated approaches.No one chooses to develop an addiction; addiction is not caused by a moral defect.Addiction can affect anyone; some groups of people are more impacted by addiction because of societal marginalization and discrimination.Opioid overdose can be reversed by medications such as naloxone and nalmefene.We can help prevent and treat addiction by reco...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: addiction addiction treatment alcohol use disorder nalmefene naloxone Petros Levounis substance use disorder Source Type: research